Hi there and welcome to The Record Factory Blog
Every couple of weeks, I’ll be publishing some tips and tricks to help you get what you want out of your music career. I hope you find the info useful… If you have any questions, or are looking to make a cd and would like some free help, advice and contacts, please email me.
In the last issue we spoke about Professionalism and Relationships and their benefits. This time here’s something which was introduced to me by Zelda Sheldon from NSAI Australia. It’s a piece by Brice Michael Miller describing a range of strategies for promoting your music on the internet.
For more info on NSAI Australia email Zelda zelda@artecsound.com.au
Cheers, Simon
“Strategies for promoting your music on the internet
by Bruce Michael Miller
1. THE MUSIC BUSINESS
You need to know how the music business works if you want to be successful in it.
Good news about the music biz, is that it has changed dramatically over the past few years – and it continues to change. It has become more of a level playing field, which effects how music is heard, distributed and sold. Now regular people like us with a computer can get their music ‘out there’.
It’s a passion industry – your passion can take you further than any job you do just for money.
There’s over 1.5 billion people on the internet.
The internet is not a magic pill, it is hard work, regularly an 8 – 14 hour a day job. The major powers and labels still hold the majority of the power to sell music – but there are many opportunities for independent music marketers like you and me.
The internet is now tailored to the buyer rather than the seller and we are in the age of the ’empowered music fan’. The days of radio DJs informing us of new acts is going…
2. INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET
Internet facts and figures
In 2008 the digital music business grew by 25%
In 2008 the digital music business grew to $3.7 billion. Projections for 2012 put it at $11 billion.
Singles drive the download market – 1.4 billion singles were downloaded in 2008.
Now is a great time to get into internet marketing of your music – it’s not that old yet, it’s still being developed and refined.
Illegal downloads are still a problem and this had eroded music business profits. It’s free and easy. Interestingly research has found that 72% of those who illegally download said they would stop if they were asked by their ISP to stop illegally downloading.
It used to be a ‘scarcity economy’ – we were introduced to new books, music, film etc via the press, TV and retailers. All these avenues had their limitations, after all there’s only so much air time, column inches and shelf space available. This led to a lopsided mentality – being limited by space. Only those titles deemed most popular by businesses were stocked and supported. Everything else was considered fringe and therefore not worth promoting.
Now we have online retailers (such as CD Baby, iTunes) who are not constrained by space or costly promotion exercises. As an example, let’s compare some numbers…
An average book store holds 100,000 titles, Amazon holds 4 million.
An average DVD/Video store holds 3,000 titles, Netflix holds 60,000.
Walmart sells 55,000 titles or individual songs, Rhapsody hold 1.5 million.
40% of customers buy from Rhapsody, because they can’t find it elsewhere.
3. WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED
A computer
Fast internet provider
Web browser
Web host
Domain name
E-mail (remember to use a professional name)
4. YOUR WEBSITE
Make it easy to read
Online Press kit
Music available on your site
Digital downloads
Search engine registration
Optimise your site – sell you music/merch on the site, link to other places
5. SOCIAL NETWORKING
Social networking sites including MySpace, FaceBook and Twitter are widely used by entities and individuals including Presidents, Prime Ministers and major corporations who can afford to have their own websites. These entities now used social networking sites to reach out and keep in touch with their customers/followers. You can also use these tools to create a following for your music. Make sure to keep all the sites up to date. You could use a tool like www.ping.fm to update multiple sites at once.
6. FURTHER RESOURCES
CDBaby. (http://cdbaby.net)
Any artist can sell their songs via CD Baby. With a CD Baby membership, you not only get to sell your CD on the world’s largest independent music store, you also can sell your downloads via retailers, including iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and more. For just a $35 setup fee, CD Baby takes care of all the work and makes your music available to the world.
‘The Long Tail’ – Chris Anderson, all about ‘selling less of more’
‘Guerrilla Music Marketing’ and ‘The Buzz Factor’ – Bob Baker www.bob-baker.com
Online Publishing companies
The way that music is found for TV, Film and advertising is also changing. If you have ‘broadcast ready’ tracks, you can upload you music and be paid licence fees and royalties as your music is used for a variety of channels such as online, TV, games or corporate clients.
The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is now in Australia. Australian songwriters in any music genre and any level will benefit from being part of this vibrant songwriting community. NSAI consists of a body of creative minds, including songwriters from all genres of music, professional and amateur, who are committed to protecting the rights and future of the profession of songwriting, and to educate, elevate, and celebrate the songwriter and to act as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large.
What does NSAI do?
First and foremost, NSAI operates as a legislative advocacy group on behalf of songwriters. What does that mean? That means our organization FIGHTS for songwriter’s rights – the right to be paid, to be taxed fairly, to be recognised and to protect the future profession of songwriting.
Second, NSAI teaches writers about the “craft” of writing. We teach you songwriting tips, provide songwriting tools, suggestions and ways to write the best song you possibly can. WE ALSO LISTEN TO YOUR SONGS
Third, NSAI teaches you about the Music Industry, how it works and how to position yourself and your song within the industry for the greatest possibility of achieving success.